Fourth-Rank Alchemist (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Follow-ups)

One day, three months later!

Atop the tallest peak in the mountain range, Xu Haoyu sat cross-legged, bare-chested beneath the blazing sun.

After adjusting his condition, Xu Haoyu took a jade bottle and a jade bowl from his Storage Ring. He then poured the Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger's Heart Blood Essence from the jade bottle until it filled half the bowl.

Putting away the jade bottle, he skillfully drained the Heart Blood Essence from the bowl in one gulp. Even after so much time had passed, it was still warm, showing just how dense the energy contained within it was.

At that moment, a scorching sensation surged up from within Xu Haoyu's body. The Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger was supremely yang and unyielding, and its Heart Blood Essence could be called the finest tonic for replenishing yang energy.

Xu Haoyu had ample experience dealing with this scorching heat. He guarded his mind and circulated his cultivation technique to refine it, allowing the searing energy to continuously travel through his meridians.

Once the heat had gone from scalding to mild and his body had adjusted, he guided the searing energy into his dantian. Rather than pouring it into his Dou Crystal, he infused it into the Heavenly Flame.

Whoosh!

Fed by that searing energy, the Heavenly Flame abruptly surged. As the flames swayed, they took the form of a massive winged tiger, radiating terrifying ferocity and abundant spirituality.

Having completed this round of nurturing, Xu Haoyu opened his eyes, raised his right hand, and called out in a low voice:

"Come, fire!"

Very quickly, the Heavenly Flame that had been inside his dantian traveled through his meridians to his palm, burst from his body, and condensed into tangible flames.

Xu Haoyu's gaze sharpened. He withdrew his soul perception and stopped suppressing the flames. In an instant, the white fire expanded without end, gathering into a massive fire cloud in midair.

Its scorching temperature rapidly evaporated the moisture in the air, and beneath its heat, even the air seemed slightly distorted.

Xu Haoyu's eyes shone as he silently calculated the Dou Qi consumption of releasing the Heavenly Flame at full force. At that moment, the Dual Fire-Wood Attribute Dou Qi within his Dou Crystal was being rapidly consumed by the flames.

In return, however, the flames' ferocity had already surpassed the level of a Da Dou Shi. Though they could not compare with the original flames released by the Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger, ordinary Dou Wang experts would never dare touch them lightly.

Xu Haoyu was quite satisfied.

"More or less. This is the limit of what I can currently control. If I keep nurturing it, perhaps the fire's power can continue to increase, but my soul perception will also find it difficult to control it perfectly. There's a risk of playing with fire and getting burned."

"Over these three months, I've initially mastered seven Mystic High-Rank Dou Techniques and nurtured the Heavenly Flame to the limit of my control. With flames comparable to those condensed by a fire-attribute Dou Wang, it's time for me to return and attempt to become a Fourth-Rank Alchemist. I refuse to believe I'll fail again this time."

After saying that, Xu Haoyu released his soul perception and suppressed the roaring, fire-cloud-like Heavenly Flame back into a palm-sized flame. The flame descended into Xu Haoyu's palm before he drew it further back into his body.

He took another outer garment from his Storage Ring and put it on, then Xu Haoyu called out loudly:

"Grandfather, take me down. Also, we can return to the family now. I'm going back to attempt becoming a Fourth-Rank Alchemist."

The moment he said this, Xu Tianlong, who had been observing from another mountain peak, took a step forward. Crossing space in a single stride, he walked through the air toward them.

Xu Tianlong smiled with both affection and excitement.

"Good, then let's go back!"

After saying that, he flew forward, grabbed Xu Haoyu by the shoulder with one hand, and soared into the air with him, flying northward. In the blink of an eye, they became two black dots and vanished into the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Tiannan City, Xu Family!

With Xu Tianlong leading the way for the entire journey, they returned from the Ten Thousand Mountains to Tiannan City in only a day.

After returning to the family, grandfather and grandson Xu Tianlong and Xu Haoyu went to the Alchemy Room. Xu Haoyu quickly found the medicinal cauldron, as well as the remaining medicinal ingredients needed to refine Qi Gathering Powder.

Sitting cross-legged, he adjusted his condition and prepared to open the cauldron and refine pills once more.

Meanwhile, after finding Li Fufeng, Xu Tianlong took out the Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger's sixth-rank Magical Core and placed it in his hand as he said:

"Brother Fufeng, I hunted a sixth-rank Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger for Haoyu. He has already refined its flames. I hope you can use this sixth-rank Magical Core to refine a Pure Yang Pill."

Li Fufeng held the Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger's Magical Core and inspected it carefully. Then, clicking his tongue in admiration, he said:

"This Magical Core is exceptionally intact, and the energy within is also extremely abundant. Excellent, truly excellent. The Grand Elder's strength is still as terrifyingly powerful as ever."

"The owner of this Magical Core was definitely a peak sixth-rank magical beast, comparable to a human Nine Star Dou Huang expert—far stronger than a mere Two Star Dou Huang like me. A peak sixth-rank tiger-type magical beast, and a fire-attributed tiger-type magical beast at that. This is the best material for refining a Pure Yang Pill."

"Grand Elder, could you give me some time? If possible, I'll prepare some superior supplementary medicinal ingredients and see whether I can refine it into a Seventh-Rank Pill."

Seeing the blazing light in Li Fufeng's eyes, Xu Tianlong considered it briefly before nodding in agreement.

"Very well. Brother Fufeng, go ahead and do it. Even if you fail, I can simply hunt another sixth-rank tiger-type magical beast."

Li Fufeng's expression relaxed, and Xu Tianlong's trust made his heart feel warm. A scholar would die for one who understood him. He spoke with complete sincerity:

"Grand Elder, please rest assured. With this peak sixth-rank Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger Magical Core as the main ingredient, I have more than a fifty percent chance of refining the sixth-rank Pure Yang Pill into a seventh-rank pill. If little Haoyu takes this pill, it will definitely grant him a physique comparable to that of a magical beast."

Meanwhile, back with Xu Haoyu, he had already begun refining the Qi Gathering Powder.

He raised his right hand, and the Heavenly Flame immediately answered his summons. With a flick of his finger, the white flame traveled through the Fire Vent and entered the medicinal cauldron.

With a puff, the flames roared to life. Xu Haoyu then touched his glabella, and his soul perception surged forth, filling every inch of space within the medicinal cauldron.

He first used a fierce flame to preheat the cauldron, then switched to a low flame. Xu Haoyu successively tossed the medicinal ingredients for refining Qi Gathering Powder into the cauldron. He was extremely familiar with this process, having repeated it too many times. He had no intention of failing this time.

As the Origin Flame taken from the peak sixth-rank magical beast, the Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger, the Heavenly Flame was of exceptionally high quality. Whether in efficiency or purity, its refinement of medicinal ingredients far surpassed what he had used before.

After several hours of work, he had refined all the medicinal ingredients. Xu Haoyu then wore a solemn expression, changed his hand seal, and shouted in a low voice:

"Fuse for me!"

Inside the medicinal cauldron, wrapped in flames, the various medicinal essences—some powders, some liquids, some granules...—slowly fused together. The immense energy contained within stirred up ripples of energy.

This time, however, no explosion occurred. Instead, as time passed, a rich pill fragrance wafted from the medicinal cauldron.

Xu Haoyu raised his brows and grinned.

"I succeeded, but I can't let my guard down. The final nurturing will determine the pill's quality."